Based in Croghan, Co Offaly, Mattie Moore runs a mixed pig and tillage farming enterprise. Running 1,000 sows, and finishing his own produce, Mattie also grows 450 acres of crops. His system is brilliant – he uses all pig slurry produced on the farm in Croghan to grow his crops, and, in return, uses all the cereals produced on-farm to feed the pigs.

The farm sticks to growing three cereals – barley, wheat and rye. Despite often being able to buy grain cheaper than it costs Mattie to grow it, he likes to have the security of producing his own feed. Some chemical fertiliser is still used to grow the crops and, likewise, some external feed is brought in to balance the pigs’ diets.

For the past six years, Mattie has been running a SlurryKat 12m umbilical system to top-dress the crops. Running 24m tramlines, he used to split the tramline and travel every second run up through the centre of the tramlines.

On his farm in Croghan, Mattie has his sow houses, which are within 1,400m of his crops, making it ideal for an umbilical system to direct pump from the slurry tanks. Last year, Mattie began researching 24m dribble bars, recognising that the top-dressing had been working very well. Likewise, chemical fertiliser costs were one of the farm’s largest bills, which has become undisputed with current fertiliser prices.

“Our 12m system was working very well, but we wanted to see could we push the boundaries of the system even further, and try to grow as much of the crops using pig slurry as possible, and reduce our chemical fertiliser bill,” said Mattie.

“This would involve more applications, at which point the crop would be at a stronger growth stage. Without doubt, we were very sceptical of going to a 24m system, and whether or not it would work on our land. Our field sizes range from five acres up to 90 acres, but our land type ranges from heavy and marginal, to very good land. Last year, we visited a tillage farmer in Northern Ireland, who was also running a 24m Vogelsang system. We were seriously impressed with both the machine’s capabilities, and the savings in chemical fertiliser. We decided to order the system, and took delivery of it earlier this spring.”

Vogelsang 24m BackPac

The Moores purchased the Vogelsang 24m BackPac umbilical dribble bar system from Atkins in Cork. This is now the sixth 24m Vogelsang unit working in Ireland. Vogelsang is a German company, with its Irish operation based in Galway. The firm is well known for its large applicators and precision slurry technology. The 24m unit has been designed for farms operating on tramlines, especially in tillage systems, but is also suitable for grassland farming.

Vogelsang says the distribution system is designed for controlled traffic tramline farming. The slurry is pumped from the piggery via a Doda pump, through five-inch hosing, before being brought down to four-inch hosing, to keep the flow rate high. Upon entering the Vogelsang unit, the slurry is processed through two macerators. These are the Vogelsang HD ECQ macerators which are designed for Irish slurry and come with a two-year warranty.

This processed slurry is then distributed across the width of the boom through a network of hoses spaced evenly along the 24m frame.

The dribble hoses place the slurry directly onto the ground in narrow bands, reducing the surface area exposed to the air.

Section control

One of the standout features of the BackPac system is its section control. This is achieved using a Vogelsang designed system where small balloons inside the outlet hoses inflate to shut off slurry flow to specific sections of the boom.

The CFC section control system shuts off in 3m widths, ie from 24m to 21m and down to 18m, etc. This allows operators to either manually or if using GPS, automatically switch on and off sections of the applicator when working in irregularly shaped fields or around headlands. This is designed to prevent overlaps and ensure an even application rate across the field. The system also has the capability of running 2x3 tramline hose shutoff, meaning no slurry is wasted, being spread on the tramlines.

Key to accurate application is the flow metre. The Moores ran a flow metre on their previous 12m system, and when they upgraded to the 24m Vogelsang unit, they also purchased a new Krohne flow metre.

This system measures the volume of slurry being applied in real time, with the operator able to then adjust forward speeds and application rates to match the crops requirements.

The Moore’s system is controlled through IsoBus, meaning it’s integrated into their Fendt 724 tractor terminal and precision farming software.

Design

The 24m boom is mounted on a frame attached to the tractor’s three-point linkage. It features automatic folding out and in.

An important feature is the pendulum compensation system, which allows the boom to follow ground contours, similar to the boom on a sprayer. The levelling is hydraulically controlled via the Isobus joystick in the tractor.

The system physically folds to 18m, and can be operated at 18m, which may suit some grassland scenarios.

When it comes to blowing out the lines, the operator can switch to the splash plate, to let the air and sponge out of the lines. Routine maintenance typically involves checking hoses, checking the macerator, greasing and ensuring that the hydraulic and control systems are functioning correctly. Prices start from €98,000 plus VAT.

Verdict

“So far, we have covered 250 acres of our winter crops with a single 3,000 gallons per acre application. We have been really impressed with the machine and its precise application. Although it is a big machine, there is no reelers on the system on the front or rear, so visibility is very good. The 24m unit features section control, with auto shut off turning on and off in 3m sections. This works through the use of air, inflating a small baloon to shut off each individual outlet at the macerator. This air is sourced from the tractors air brakes. It’s a very practical solution, and it works perfectly,” explained Mattie.

“Traditionally on the winter crops, we only top dressed with one round of pig slurry, with the later spring application being chemical fertiliser. With the 24m boom, we are obviously travelling only on the tramlines, and this will allow us to apply a second spring application of pig slurry. Likewise, we will be hitting the spring cereals with a May application. We regularly test the slurry to have an exact handle on its NPK values. As the pig diet is very consistent, the values don’t tend to shift too much. Because of this, we didn’t feel the need to purchase an NIR system for the unit.

“The sow slurry tends to be higher in nitrogen, while the fattening slurry tends to have more solids, and be higher in phosphorus. We recently tested the sow slurry, and per 1,000 gallons at 4.3% solids, it’s the equivalent of 50kg of 19-7-20 NPK. It’s still really early days, and we are still getting a feel for the 24m unit, but we are delighted with it.

“For a big machine, it’s very precise and accurate. With it, our plan is to utilise as much of our own pig slurry as possible to grow the crops, and thus reduce our chemical fertiliser bill. Based on current fertiliser prices, the system won’t be long paying for itself.”